More than 300 Catholic bishops have called for the closure of the SOA. To date, more than 170 U.S. Catholic bishops, including Cardinal Francis George from Chicago, eight archbishops, and the President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, have signed a resolution to close the SOA. Over 140 bishops from Latin America, including 15 archbishops, have written letters supporting the closure of the infamous school. The 78,000-member Leadership Conference of Catholic Nuns has also passed a resolution to close the SOA.
The SOA, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC), is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers located at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Its graduates are consistently involved in human rights abuses and atrocities. In 2000 Congress authorized the WHISC to replace the SOA. The renaming was widely viewed as an attempt to diffuse public criticism and disassociate the school from its dubious reputation. SOA Watch maintains that the underlying purpose of the school, to control the economic and political systems of Latin America, by aiding and influencing Latin American militaries, remains the same.
SOA Watch works to stand in solidarity with people of Latin America, to change oppressive U.S. foreign policy, and to close the SOA/WHISC.
For additional information, please visit: http://www.soaw.org/
The SOA, renamed Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHISC), is a combat training school for Latin American soldiers located at Ft. Benning, Georgia. Its graduates are consistently involved in human rights abuses and atrocities. In 2000 Congress authorized the WHISC to replace the SOA. The renaming was widely viewed as an attempt to diffuse public criticism and disassociate the school from its dubious reputation. SOA Watch maintains that the underlying purpose of the school, to control the economic and political systems of Latin America, by aiding and influencing Latin American militaries, remains the same.
SOA Watch works to stand in solidarity with people of Latin America, to change oppressive U.S. foreign policy, and to close the SOA/WHISC.
For additional information, please visit: http://www.soaw.org/